How to know the common triggers for migraine?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am a 25 year old female. I am exposed to long screen time in front of my computer due to work. I have been getting a one-sided headache for the past three months. I think that it could be a migraine. How to know the common migraine triggers? What are the recommended treatment options for managing migraine attacks? What preventive measures can be followed to reduce the frequency and severity of migraine episodes?

Kindly suggest.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com

I understand your concern.

Migraine is a complex disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of headache, most often unilateral and in some cases associated with visual or sensory symptoms—collectively known as an aura—that arise most often before the head pain but that may occur during or afterward.

Symptoms:

Throbbing or pulsatile headache, with moderate to severe pain that intensifies with movement or physical activity.
Unilateral and localized pain in the frontotemporal and ocular area, but the pain may be felt anywhere around the head or neck.
Pain builds up over one to two hours, progressing posteriorly and becoming diffuse
Headache lasting for four to 72 hours.
Nausea (80%) and vomiting (50%), including anorexia and food intolerance, and light-headedness.
Sensitivity to light and sound.
Aura: may precede or accompany the headache phase or may occur in isolation.
Usually develops over five to 20 minutes and lasts less than 60 minutes.
Most commonly visual but can be sensory, motor, or any combination of these.
Visual symptoms may be positive or negative.
The most common positive visual phenomenon is the scintillating scotoma, an arc or band of absent vision with a shimmering or glittering zigzag border.

Migraine treatment involves acute (abortive) and preventive (prophylactic) therapy. Treatment of severe nausea, vomiting, and subsequent dehydration. Treatment of severe, refractory migraine pain (i.e., status migrainosus).

Detoxification from overuse of combination analgesics, ergots, or opioids. 5. HT2 antagonism - Methysergide.
Regulation of voltage-gated ion channels - Calcium channel blockers.
Modulation of central neurotransmitters - Beta blockers, tricyclic antidepressants.
Enhancing gamma-aminobutyric acid-ergic (GABAergic) inhibition - Valproic acid, gabapentin.
Prevention of acetylcholine from presynaptic membrane – Botulinum toxin.
Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) inhibitors – Atogepant, eptinezumab, erenumab, fremanezumab, galcanezumab.

I hope this helps.

Kindly follow up if you have more concerns.

Regards.

Thank you.